Molded card drawers and cabinets therefor



1 Unite States Patent [72] Inventor Peter J. Protzmann Grand Rapids, Mich. [21] Appl. No. 738,591 [2- Filed June 20, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [73] Assignee Herman Miller, lnc.

Zeeland, Mich. a corporation of Michigan [54] MOLDED CARD DRAWERS AND CABINETS THEREFOR 3 Claims, 12 Drawing Figs.

[52] 0.5. CI 312/183, 312/330 [51] Int. Cl 1342f 17/16 [50] Field ofSearch 312/193, 190, 189, 183,330, 184, 303, 302; 221/226; 402/502, 46; 16/125,127

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-James T. Mc Call Attorney-Price, Heneveld, Huizenga and Cooper ABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a drawer and cabinet construction for filing cards and the like. The drawer is made from an integrally molded container forming a downwardly opening recess between a bin and a front face. A card supporting plate is carried within the bin and engages a rod in a recessed trough in the bin bottom. A card holding rod is removably secured to a front face and extends through the bin for retaining cards within the bin. The cabinet has integrally molded rail containing support members which are fixed to the side walls of the cabinet. Outwardly extending runners at the top of the side walls of the drawer engage the rails of the support members so that the drawers can slide within the rails.

.files using integrally molded MOLDED CARD DRAWERS AND CABINETS THEREFOR This invention relates tom to molded card drawers and cabinets therefore. In one of its aspects, it relates to a card drawer with an integrally formed bin and front face spaced from the bin end wall forming a recess for housing a releasable securing means for a card holding rod which extends through the front face. L In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a cabinet construction having integrally molded supporting members forming rails at sides and a central portion of the cabinet, and

drawers within the cabinets having integrally molded runners at the sides thereof which slide within the rails for supporting ,V the cards within the cabinet.

facture. Wood drawers are also expensive to manufacture.

It has been proposed to make the card file drawers out of plastic to reduce the weight and to reduce the cost.

Most card file drawers have a removable holding rod threadably secured to the front plate or to the back wall of the drawer. These card holding rods cannot be threadably atrigidity. Furthenthe sidewalls are joined to the front facelat.

one end thereof so as to form a downwardly opening cavity between the front face andone end wall.

A card retaining rod extends through the front face and one end wall and substantially, throughout the length of the bin. The rod is removably secured in a locked position within the bin by a locking means housed in the recess between the bin and wall and the front face.,The locking means comprises a retaining lug on the outer end of the rod, a slot in the frontface so shapedas to permit the lug to pass therethrough when the rod is in a first rotational position and to prevent the lug from passing through the front face when the rod is in a tached to plastic drawer files because of the tendency of the 7 plastic to flow and to flow and breakto thereby strip the threads.

I have now discovered a card file drawer and cabinet therefor, wherein the drawer is integrally molded out of plastic to make a lighter and less expensive card tray; and yet which has provisions to removably secure a card holding rod in a manner so as to eliminate the prior art problems. I have also discovered an inexpensive, yet durable cabinet for the card plastic supporting rail members for the drawers.

By various aspects of this invention one-or more of the following, or other, objects can be obtained.

It is an object of this invention to provide a lighter and inexpensive card holding drawer which has provisions for removably securing a releasable card holder rod without the use of threads.

It is-a further object of this invention to provide an improved card holder which has a main container portion and a handle integrally molded thereto.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an integrally molded card holder having integrally molded runners for engaging supporting rails in a cabinet.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a cabinet construction having integrally molded parts which are durable yet inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved card holder drawer having an integrally molded handle and label holder.

It is yet another object of this invention tdprovide an improved index card holder having an easily removable card holder rod.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved index card holder drawer having a removable card holder rod which cannot be inadvertently removed from the drawer.

Other aspects, objects, and the several advantages of this invention are apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of this disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a drawer particularly adapted for filing index cards and the like. The drawer has an integrally molded container with a bottom, a pair of upstanding sidewalls, and a pair of end walls joined together forming a bin. A front face is spaced from, but integrally molded to one of the end walls in such a manner as to define a cavity between the front face and the end wall.

Preferably, the drawer has integrally molded supporting runners extending outwardly of the side walls at the top portions thereof and is joined to the front face for strength and second rotational position. Means are also provided to bias the rod in an outward direction, at least when the lug is behind the front face within the cavity. lntegrally molded ribs are provided withinthe cavity on the inner side'of the front face for locking the lug in place to prevent inadvertent removal of the card holding rod.

Also according to the invention, there is provided a cabinet construction especially adapted for the above described card holding drawers. The cabinet construction has a top, a bottom, and sidewalls joined together to' form a boxlike support member. Integrally molded drawer supporting members have upright posts which extend between the top and bottom walls and have integrally molded laterally extending channellike rails for engaging the-runners of the drawers. Central supporting members having laterally. extending rails can be fixed between the top and bottomsurfaces so that a plurality of vertically extending rows of drawers can be positioned. within each cabinet. I The invention will not now'bedescribed with reference to the'accompanying drawings in which: t

FIG. 1 is a perspective front-view of a card, drawer accord ing to the invention; I Y

FIG..2 is a side elevational view of the drawer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the drawer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, taken along lines Ill-Ill of FIG. 2;

FIGA is aperspective bottom ,view of the drawer shown in FIGS. 1 through 3; I

FIG. 5 is atop view of the drawer shown'in FIGS. 1 through 4;

FIG. -6 is an enlarged view of a card holding rod with a drawer front, partially shown in phantom lines, illustrating the locking feature of the card holding rod;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a side supporting member for a cabinet for supporting the drawers:

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the side support shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a central supporting member for a cabinet construction according to the invention;

FIG. It) is a front elevational view of the central supporting member shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side view, in section, of a cabinet constructed according to the invention using the integrally molded supporting elements shown in FIGS. 6 through 9; and

FIG. 12 is a front view of the cabinet shown in FIG. 10.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. I through 6, a drawer 12 is shown having an integrally molded container 14 formed from sidewalls l6 and 18, a rear end wall 20, a front end wall 22, and a bottom 24. A front face panel 2 26 is integrally molded to the front end wall 22 through a connecting web 28 and through sidewalls 16 and 18. A had handle 30 is also integrally molded to the front face panel 26. g

The container has a card support 323 slidable on a rod 34 and a card retainingrod 36 which extends through the front .face panel 26, the front end wall 22, and substantially through the container 14.

The sidewalls I6 and I8 and the rear end wall 20 have an outwardly extending runner 38 at the top portions thereof. The runner extends from the front face: plate 26 and around the top portions of the sidewalls and the rear end wall 20. The runner extends outwardly and then downwardly with a slight recess formed between the downwardly extending portion and the side and end walls. The runner 38 lends rigidity to the integrally molded container structure as well as provides a means for supporting the drawer within a cabinet as will be hereinafter described.

The sidewalls 16 and 18 extend downwardly below the bottom wall 24, forming flanges 40 whose bottom surface is coextensive with the bottom surface of front face panel 26. These flanges provide stabilizing support for the drawer on a flat surface.

A downwardly extending, elongated trough 42 is formed in the bottom wall 24. Rod 34 is positioned within the trough 42 and is retained fixed within the trough by a lock nut 44 at one end thereof and an upturned end 46 at the other end thereof which is positioned within a recessed area 48 and rear end wall 20.

The card support 32 is conventional in nature having a back plate 50 with a slot 52 and holes 54 and 56. The plate extends down into the elongated trough 42 as seen clearly in FIG. 3. An L-shaped flange 58 cooperates with the back plate 50 to hold the cards in place. The L-shaped flange has an upturned end 60 which is positioned within slot 52 and has holes 62 and 64. The rod 34 passes through holes 56 in plate 50 and through hole 64 in L-shaped flange 58. The card retaining rod 36 passes through hole 54 in plate 50 and through hole 62 in L-shaped flange 58'. A spring 66 biases L-shaped flange 58 away from the back plate 50 to maintain the card support in a fixed position within the drawer. The card support 32 can be moved forwardly or backwardly within the drawer by urging the L-shaped flange 58 toward the back plate 50 and sliding the support longitudinally within the drawer.

The card retaining rod 36 has a knob 68 on one end thereof spaced from laterally projecting lugs 70. A spring 72 is positioned on rod 36 adjacent the lugs 70. The outer end of the spring snaps over a knob 71 with an expanded end for retaining the spring 72. The knob 71 is integrally formed with lugs 70.

The front face panel 26 extends upwardly above the sidewalls 16 and 18 and above the end walls 20 and 22. The front end panel also extends laterally on each side of the sidewalls 16 and 18 and even extends outwardly farther than the outwardly extending runner 38. A slot 74 is cut in the front face panel 26 to provide an opening for lugs 70 to pass therethrough. As illustrated clearly in FIG. 5, the lugs 70 can pass through the slot 74 when the rod 36 is in a first rotational position so as to align the lugs 70 with the slot 74. As seen in FIGS. 2. 4. and 5. when the lugs are positioned behind the front face panel 26 and when the rod 36 is in a second rotational position so that the lugs are not aligned with the slot 74, then the lugs will be retained behind the front face panel 26. The outward pressure of spring 72 maintains the lugs in contact with the back of the front face panel so that the rod remains intact in the position shown in FIGS. 2. 4, and 5.

In order to provide inadvertent dislodging of the rod 36 from the locked position as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, integrally molded vertical ribs 76 have been provided on the cavity side of the front face panel 26. These ribs 76 are spaced so that the lugs 70 can be positioned therebetween when the lugs are not aligned with the slot 74 as illustrated in FIG. 5. In order to remove the rod 36, the knob 68 is pushed inwardly so that the lugs 70 move to the right of the ribs as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the rod can then be rotated so that the lugs are aligned with the slot 74. and the rod can then be merely pulled out of the drawer. The reverse procedure is followed in positioning the rod in the locked position shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5.

The integrally molded handle 30 is formed from outwardly extending spaced legs 78 and 80 and by a bar member 82 which is joined to the ends of the legs 78 and 80. A recessed slot 84 having holding flanges 86 and 88 is provided for insertion of identification tags in the handle.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 9 through 12 for a description of a cabinet especially adapted to house the drawers. The cabinet is best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The cabinet is formed from sidewall panels 95. a top support member 114. and a bottom support 116, all joined together to form a boxlike construction. Intermediate shelf members 114a can be provided between the vertically aligned sections. A back support 118 can be joined to the sides. top, and bottom members through appropriate grooves and mechanical fasteners such as bracket 120.

The basic boxlike structure is adapted to receive the drawers through integrally molded side supporting members 90 which are attached to the sidewalls and, if desirable, central support members 102 which are fixed between the top support member 114 and the bottom support member 116 or between the intermediate shelf members 114a and top or bottom support members. Brace rods 130 can be used between the side supporting members 90 and the central support member 102. Each side support member 90 comprises upright posts 92 and 94 joined to laterally extending rails 96, 98, and 100. The laterally extending rails are channellike in configuration as seen in FIG. 8 and open inwardly into the cabinet. The rails also have stop members at the front and back of the supports. The integrally molded support members are fixed to the sidewall panels through any suitable mechanical fastening means such as screws which can be positioned in holes 124. Rod holding fixtures 126 are molded to the side supporting members 90. Each rod holding member is annular in shape and opens outwardly.

The center supporting members 102 all illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 and comprise upright posts 10 and 106 having pins 105 and 107, respectively. The posts are joined by integrally formed channellike rails 108, 110, and 112. As seen in FIG. 10, the rails open laterally in either direction. Holes are provided in the intermediate shelf members 113 114a, in the top support member 114 and in the bottom support member 116 for retaining pins 105 and 107 (FIGS. 11 and 12). Rod holding fixtures 128 are also provided in each side of the center support member 102. These fixtures are shaped the same as the fixtures 126.

The cabinet is inexpensive to make and rapid to construct by simply fixing the side support members 90 to the sidewall panels 95, and then fixing the top support member 114 and the bottom support member 116 to the finished sidewalls with the center support member 102 therebetween. It is to be understood that a plurality of center support members 102 can be provided in any given cabinet structure.

The drawers fit within the cabinet construction with the runners 38 engaging the rails such as 96, 98, and 100, and 108, 110, and 112. The back surface of the front face panel 26 strikes the stop member 122 as the drawer is pushed into the cabinet. In this manner, all of the drawer fronts will be aligned in the same plane.

The cabinet illustrated in the drawings can be made to any size desirable using the basic structure illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 with or without intermediate shelf member 114a. In making large larger structures, the sidewall panels 95 can be extended vertically to any distance desired. A plurality of intermediate shelf members 1140 can be used to support and space the central support members 102. These intermediate shelf members 114a also space the side support members 90. In the construction of the cabinet, brace rods are wedged between fixtures 13 128 and 126 for support of the central support member 102.

The drawers and the support members can be made from any suitable moldable plastic material including thermoplastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethacrylates, nylon, ABS, and the like. Those plastics having self-lubricating properties such as polyethylene are preferred. Thermosetting resins such as diallyl phthalate and phenol formaldehyde can also be used.

Reasonable variation and modification is possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A drawer particularly adapted for filing index cards and the like, said drawer comprising an integrally molded container having a bottom, a pair of upstanding sidewalls, and a pair of end walls joined together forming'a bin, a front face at one end of said drawer joined to said sidewalls and to one of said end walls, said one end wall slanting downwardly and rearwardly thereby forming a downwardly opening cavity between said front face and said one end wall; an elongated slot formed in said front'face; a card retaining rod extending through said front face at said slot and said one end wall, and substantially throughout the length of said bin; a retaining lug secured to said card retaining rod near an outer end thereof; said elongated slot in said front face being so shaped as to permit passage of said lug therethrough when said rod is in a first rotational position, and to prevent passage of said lug therethrough when said rod is in a second rotational position;

wardly when said lug is positioned behind said front face.

2. The drawer of claim 1 wherein an elongated trough is formed in said bottom and extends downwardly of said bottom; a rod member is mounted in said end walls and positioned within said trough below said top surface of said bottom; a card supporting means is positioned between said sidewall and has a portion thereof engaging said rod member for selective sliding movement therealong.

3. The drawer of claim 1 further comprising spaced ribs on the back of said front face panel angularly disposed to said slot such that said lugs, when positioned in said second rotational position, will be locked within said spaced ribs and cannot be rotated without first forcing said rod away from said back of said front face panel against the tension of said biasing means.

HMI P-406 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (5/69) CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 550 979 Dated 12 29- 70 I v or) Peter J'. Protzmann It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 line 3 delete "tom".

Column 2 line 24:

after "subporting members" insert are fixed to the side walls for holding the drawers The support members Column 2, line 63:

delete "'2".

Column 4, line 29:

"upright posts 10" should be upright 1005' Column 4, line 315:

delete "113" Column .4, line 63:

delete "13". Signed and sealed this 28th day of September 1971 L.(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Pater 

